Trophy construction

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method therefore of utilizing a connector base of the present invention to preconstruct a trophy assembly prior to the attachment of the figure, utilizing traditional threaded rod construction, with the connector base further adapted to receive one or more additional components configured with a resilient or rigid attachment, such as a figure, to complete the trophy for use. More particularly, the figure may have a traditional threaded stud molded therein, or be adapted to snap or twist in place establishing a permanent connection, or reversibly twist or snap in place. In addition, the attachment comprises a resilient or rigid connecting member attached to a trophy component adapted to insert into a connector member opening configured in a second trophy component. Further, any component of a trophy assembly could be adapted with the snap or twist attachment of the present invention and the assembly could quickly proceed without the need for the internal threaded rod. Further, a method of business providing preconstructed trophy assemblies to the industry is stated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of trophy assemblyand construction, more particularly to components that can be morerapidly secured together to facilitate more rapid construction. In otheraspects the invention relates to components that can be more rapidlyassembled or disassembled by utilizing connectors that reversibly engagecomponents. Thus components may be designed to snap together, reversiblycome apart, or utilize a snap or twisting motion to engage anddisengage. In other aspects the invention relates to using one or moretypes of connectors on one or more of the trophy components, including aconnector base of the present invention, to utilize multiple types ofconnectors to facilitate rapid construction.

For example, a trophy may comprise a base, riser and or stem, and a topor cap with one or more decorative extrusions/injections placed between,and a figure, award or other design mounted thereon. The base may alsoinclude only a figure or other award design thereon. The figure or awarddesign is typically a three dimensional model of a representativesporting element like a soccer ball, a cheerleader, an auto, or otheremblem representative of a particular activity. The trophy constructionis typically secured by a threaded rod extending through the individualparts of the entire assembly which directly or through use of a nut,sleeve or ferrule retains the figure in position.

Inexpensive trophies are conventionally made with extruded and/orinjection molded plastic or metal parts. Typically the riser, extrusionsand figure are made of injection molded plastic with a gold or silverappearance. The decorative extrusion may also be plated or foiledattractively to enhance the appearance of the trophy.

The generally accepted and traditional method of securing the award orfigure to the trophy is by a threaded stud extending from the figure,which is screwed into a ferrule attached to a threaded rod. The threadedrod is then used to secure the parts together into a final product. Toprovide the figure with a threaded stud, during the injection process ametal screw or bolt is placed in the mold first before the material isinjected. Once cured, the figure is extracted from the mold with thethreaded stud in place. The piece may then proceed to coloring prior toinventory. In order to maintain quality and interest buyers, the figure,riser and other parts are generally manufactured separately.

Production of the molds is a very expensive process for themanufacturer. Each figure requires a separate mold and there arehundreds of figures available on the market. To reduce the need toproduce new molds to take advantage of the present invention, an adaptercomprising the features of the present invention is provided to screwonto the pre-existing threaded stud of the award. The adapter thenfunctions to enable the rapid connection advantage of the presentinvention by allowing figures with threaded studs to be adapted to thepreassembled trophy of the present invention. The preassembled trophyhaving the mating connector in place. The adapter could be made of asubstantially rigid or substantially resilient material. Any place thereis a protruding connecting member from a trophy part, an adapter of thepresent invention may be fashioned to take advantage of the rapidconnection of the present invention. For example the protruding membercould be threaded, splined, keyed, knurled, smooth or of other geometrysufficient to provide surface area for attachment of such an adapter.

In prior art constructions, it was normally necessary to identify theuse of the trophy prior to construction, in order to place an order fora figure appropriate to the need. This requires that all the componentsof a trophy are kept in inventory waiting for assembly. Once the orderis received from the customer, the retailer must then order all of theindividual parts and assemble them. The retailers do not typically havelarge numbers of parts on hand but instead rely upon quick deliverymethods to obtain the parts from a supplier and then assemble the trophyon site. However, the supplier must keep large numbers of individualparts on hand to meet any demand. Thus the supplier has increased costsfor inventory and the retailer has increased costs of labor forassembly. From the time the customer places the order until completionand delivery can be many hours, a week or more. The advent ofjust-in-time order and delivery has made the rapid construction oftrophies from individual parts a necessity. Retailers demand it fromsuppliers since customers are placing an increased demand for a quickturn-around time based upon their needs.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,670 (1960) attempted to avoid the problemsassociated with a threaded figure attachment by providing a simpledevice for mounting a FIG. 16 on a preconstructed trophy base 14 in asecure manner insuring against inadvertent removal. '670 addressed thisproblem by use of an adapter bushing 42 with a smooth bore 49 secured toa threaded elongated bolt 32. Said adapter bushing 42 was designed toaccept a split sleeve fitting 48 placed around the figure threaded bolt20 to cover the threads. Thus rotational force was minimized oreliminated upon attachment of the FIG. 16. The FIG. 16 was held intight-fitting non-rotational relationship with the bore 49 of thebushing 42 by tongues 58 constructed with crimps 64 and an outwardlyturned edge 60 to frictionally engage the side of the bore 49. However,one disadvantage of this arrangement was that in order to change theFIG. 16 it was necessary to disassemble the trophy and disengage thefitting 48 after removal of the elongated bolt 32 from the bushing 42.'670 provided a relatively rapid method for placing, but it was notremovable without disassembly and thus did not reduce the amount of timeor effort needed to remove or replace the figure. Because of thesedisadvantages it was never widely used in the industry and is notavailable today.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,727 (1967) provided a selectable parts trophy bodyconstruction based upon a cup-shaped body member 11 in the preferredembodiment. Said body member 11 was reversibly attached to an upperadapter member 14 by use of tongue 47 and groove 46 elements, and to alower adapter member 14 by tongue 71 and groove 72. However, the figureand base were attached using the standard threaded stud or boltconstruction. Thus '727 provided a convenient way of interchangingtrophy body parts that could be shaped to incorporate exterior tongueand groove fasteners, but did not address the problem of theconstruction noted above where the body parts were connected by acentral threaded bolt. Because of these disadvantages it was neverwidely used in the industry and is not available today.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,739 (1994) illustrated the use of resilient lockingfingers 58 of plastic material on a trophy lid 18 to engage slots 56 ina riser 14 to simplify trophy construction where separate risers 14 anddie cast lids 18 could be easily and securely connected together.However, '739 continued to rely upon a threaded sleeve 30 attached tothe usual central threaded rod member 24 to mate with the threadedprojection 42 of the figurine 22 and retain it in place. '739 did notuse or claim said locking fingers 58 to attach any parts other than thelid and riser. Although a lid is shown and claimed between thedecorative extrusion 16 and the figurine 22, the only retainingmechanism employed to hold the lid on the extrusion, and the figurine onthe lid, was the threaded rod member 24, not resilient locking fingers58. Thus '739 teaches only that trophy lids and risers can be alignedquickly and easily by resilient locking fingers, but still require athreaded bolt to secure the assembly. Plus, the additional time andeffort required to change a figurine or other trophy part secured by athreaded bolt was not improved. Because of these disadvantages it wasnever widely used in the industry and is not available today.

The prior art method is labor, cost and time intensive, obviating theneed for more efficient trophy assembly. Another disadvantage is that itis common for suppliers and/or retailers to have to disassemblecompleted trophies because of order cancellation or the customer wantsto change the figure. Then new parts must be procured and the assemblycompleted again by carefully aligning all of the parts before thethreaded rod is tightened. The present invention provides the supplieror retailer the ability to buy completely preassembled trophies and thenonly have to attach selected risers and/or figures, or the remove theexisting part and replace it.

Secondly, the present invention reduces the inventory requirements thusreducing cost and yet enhancing deliverability. For example, a base,column and connector may be preassembled by the manufacturer orsupplier. The customer chooses the preassembled trophy and matches anappropriate figure. Upon receipt of these parts, typically byjust-in-time delivery, the retailer can rapidly construct the finishedtrophy by attaching the figure to the pre-assembled trophy and the pieceis ready for pick-up by the customer. It is also possible in the mannerof the present invention that the retailer may carry certain popularpreassembled trophies in inventory along with various rapid connectingfigures, and/or other decorative parts, and complete the order while thecustomer waits. Thus the retailer does not have to incur the time andlabor cost of assembly of all of the individual parts, and provides morerapid service to the customer. To further reduce cost the trophyassembly could be completed in a market with lower labor costs, and thatcost saving could be passed along to the supplier and ultimately theconsumer.

The configuration of the connecting member may provide a reversible ornon-reversible connection. One example of a reversible connectingadaptation is the use of twist and lock elements that reversibly engage.Any of the connecting members of the present invention may be configuredto reversibly or non-reversibly engage. In addition, the various typesof connectors of the present invention could be configured on any trophycomponent. Thus, a trophy could be completely preassembled by usingthese connectors on each component without the traditional centrallythreaded rod.

For those manufacturers who do not want to incur the cost of new moldsfor their many figures, yet desire to take advantage of the rapidconnection feature of the present invention, an adapter and baseconnector as described above could be quickly employed.

To further increase the options for manufacture or assembly, theconnector base already configured to receive the rapid connection couldbe configured to have a central bore into which either a threaded nut,bolt or insert could be located to receive one end of the prior artthreaded bolt. An advantage of such a configuration allows themanufacturer or assembler to decide at the time of assembly whether touse a nut, bolt or other insert depending upon the availability ofparts, design, cost or other deciding factor.

With the present disclosure it is now possible to have on hand apreassembled trophy which a supplier or retailer may easily modify intoa wide variety of trophies using only a limited number of parts.

It is therefore apparent that there is a need for an improved way toassemble or construct trophies and it is an object of this invention toprovide an apparatus and methods of construction and doing business tomeet these needs.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a simplifiedconstruction in which separate risers, extrusions, and figures can beeasily and securely connected together without the use of a threadedbolt.

It is further object of the present invention to provide a simplifiedconstruction of trophy parts where alignment of the parts may bepreconfigured by the positioning of the connecting member and the matingreceptacle.

It is a further object of this invention to provide apparatus to adapttrophy construction having threaded type connectors to rapid connectionconfiguration to take advantage of the features of the presentinvention.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of businessof supplying a trophy comprising a preassembled trophy constructionincluding a rapid connector of the present invention, and a rapidconnecting riser and/or figure or other decorative part of the presentinvention.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made clearto those skilled in the art by the following description of thepresently preferred embodiments thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These objects are achieved by providing an apparatus and a method forsecuring the various parts of trophies during assembly. In accordancewith the invention, the apparatus comprises a mounting surface such as aconnector base of the present invention, on which a riser and/or afigure rest, and at least one opening formed in the mounting surface. Atleast one resilient connecting member is molded into the riser orfigure. As there could be more than one connecting member, eachconnecting member has, at its free end, a portion that is adapted toengage one of the slots in the mounting surface to urge locking. Theriser also has at least one slot formed in a mounting surface on itstop. The connecting member can be designed so that it can be pushed-in,snapped-in, clipped-in, twisted-in or otherwise engaged to secure theappropriate part. Furthermore, an adapter configured in accord with thepresent invention may be employed in a similar fashion to connect orfacilitate connection between similar or dissimilar individual trophyparts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded sectional view of a trophy incorporating thecommon construction;

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional of a trophy according to the presentinvention;

FIGS. 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 are perspective views showing variousembodiments of the resilient locking member according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a figure, riser and connector baseaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a figure and riser according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a figure and connector base according tothe present invention;

FIG. 11 thru 13 are perspective views showing embodiments of theconnector base and adapter utilizing a threaded bore;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are perspective views showing embodiments of the snapand twist connecting members and connector base or riser;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view an award with a snap connector and a riserwith a twist and lock embodiment according to the present invention;

FIGS. 17 and 18 are sectional views of an embodiment of an adapter ofthe present invention providing the snap or twist configurations with athreaded rod or stud molded therein;

FIGS. 19 and 20 are sectional views of an embodiment of the connectorbase of the present invention providing a bolt molded therein andutilizing the snap or twist adapter;

FIGS. 21 through 24 are perspective views of the connector base of thepresent invention providing various embodiments of the snap or twistadapters;

FIGS. 25 and 26 are sectional views of an embodiment of an adapter ofthe present invention providing the snap or twist configuration with oneor more keys formed on a mounting stud to mate with a keyway in theadjacent trophy part;

FIGS. 27 and 28 are sectional views of an embodiment of the connectorbase of the present invention utilizing the snap or twist connector anda bolt or stud molded therein exhibiting one or more keys formed on thestud to mate with a keyway in the adjacent trophy part;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a drawing of the commonconstruction of a trophy. Numeral 10 indicates generally a trophycomprising a base 12 and figure 22 separated by decorative elementscomprising one or more columns 14, spacers 16, caps or plates 18 andrisers 20. Said elements are held in position in relation to one anotherby a screw threaded rod member 24 having a first end 26 secured througha base 12 by nut 30 and a second end 28 secured through a riser 20 byferrule 32. The figure 22 is connected to the trophy 10 by a threadedmember 33 which reversibly threads into the ferrule 32. Saidconstruction requires that the use of the trophy 10 be identified priorto construction and may require that all the components be kept ininventory waiting for orders. If the trophy figure 22 or riser 20 needsto be changed the trophy 10 must be disassembled, the new parts insertedand aligned, and then the components reassembled. This is a timeconsuming and exacting process. Removal and replacement of just thefigure 22 may cause the ferrule 32 to unthread from the rod member 24resulting in the same problem as complete disassembly above.

In accordance with the present invention an apparatus is provided toreliably connect trophy parts such as riser or award without the needfor a centrally threaded bolt.

Referring to FIG. 2 of a preferred embodiment of the present invention,the trophy 10 comprises a base 12, columns 14, spacers 16, caps 18, andconnector base 34. Said components are secured by a centrally threadedrod member 24 utilizing a nut 30 and ferrule 32 arrangement as shown inFIG. 1. In one embodiment, ferrule 32 is attached to cap 18, andtherefore connector base 34 is attached to cap 18. In an alternativeembodiment, the connector base 34 is configured to incorporate the cap18 and ferrule 32 directly in place of the separate components.

FIG. 2 further illustrates that according to the teachings of thepresent invention a pre-trophy assembly, comprised of the basiccomponents of at least a connector base 34 of the present invention anda base 12, may be pre-assembled using the central threaded rod methodwell known in the art. This assembly is then available to receive on theconnector base 34 any variety of figure 22 and/or other decorativecomponents, such as riser 20 of FIG. 6. Basically any component, orseries of components, configured to attach via one or more securingmembers 36 of the present invention, may be quickly attached in theorder desired.

For example, trophy 10 of FIG. 2 further comprises riser 20 and figure22 having one or more securing members 36 which cooperate with one ormore securing member openings 44 in the riser 20 to engage the securingmembers 36. The securing members of FIG. 3 further comprising a firstend 46, a second end 48, a projecting portion 50, with an engagementsurface 52 formed at substantially ninety degrees to the plane of theconnecting member 38, adapted to engage the edge of the securing memberopening 44. The connecting member 38 comprising a center portion 40, afirst end 41 and a second end 42, wherein said second end 48 of thesecuring member 36 is attached to the connecting member first end 41 andthen the second end 42 of the connecting member 38 directly engages thefigure 22, as in FIG. 4. In an alternative embodiment, the second end 48is directly attached to the figure 22. In addition, FIG. 4 shows theplacement of an intermediate component, a decorative riser 20, placedbetween the connector base 34 and the figure 22, with said decorativeriser 20 adapted with one or more resilient securing members 36 andrespective securing member openings 44. Such an embodiment illustratesthat one or more components of a trophy construction may be adapted totake advantage of the teachings of the present invention.

In the alternative embodiments of FIGS. 5, 6 & 7 the connecting member36 is formed as one unit attached to a connecting member 38 withsubstantially opposed projecting portions 50 to engage said opening 44.

In the further alternative embodiments of FIGS. 8 & 9, a portion of theengagement surface 52 of the securing member 36 is formed at an anglegreater than ninety degrees from the plane of the connecting member 38to facilitate disengagement from openings 44 by inwardly deflecting saidsecuring members 36 prior to removal. FIG. 10 illustrates a furtheralternative embodiment of securing member openings 44 in risers 20 orconnector bases 34 adapted to reversibly engage securing members 36 ofFIGS. 8 and 9.

In the further alternative embodiments of FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, existingthreaded components may be attached to trophy pre-assemblies of thepresent invention by utilizing an adapter 58 configured to be acceptedin a connector base 34. In this embodiment the connector base 34includes a receptacle 54 to mate with adapter 58, and a central bore 56to accept a nut 30, bolt 24 or ferrule 32. Thus the connector base 34may be secured to a trophy assembly by the traditional threaded rod 24or by utilizing an adapter 58. An adapter 58 is provided to enable athreaded figure 22, or other threaded component, to utilize theadvantages of the present invention by adapting the threaded member 33to engage a connector base 34 of the pre-assembled trophy. The adapter58 comprising one or more resilient locking fingers 60 and a centralthreaded bore 62 to threadably receive a threaded member 33 from atrophy part, such as a figure 22.

In the further embodiment of FIG. 13 the connector base 34 is replacedby a decorative riser 20 configured with a receptacle 54 to acceptadapter 58. The riser 20 further configured with an engagement element66. The engagement element 66 further comprising one or more engagementportions 67 attached thereto and configured to engage locking element 68by an insert-and-twist motion, as illustrated in FIG. 15. In a furtherembodiment the figure 22 may be removed or replaced by reversing thetwist motion thus enabling rapid changes of the award or figure 22. Thetwist-and-lock configuration may enable a more secure connection betweenthe award 22 and the rest of the assembly, but also permits quick changeof the award 22 if the customer desires.

In the further alternative embodiment of FIG. 14, the connector base 34is engaged directly with the figure 22, configured with resilientlocking fingers 60 for quick assembly.

In the further embodiment of FIG. 15, the connecting member 38 comprisesan engagement element 66 with a plurality of engagement portions 67, anda locking element 68 of connector base 34 adapted to receive theengagement element 66 by an insert-and-twist motion, which may bereversible.

In the further embodiment of FIG. 16, the figure 22 further comprisesone or more resilient locking fingers 60 to interconnect with riser 20,and an engagement element 66 on the riser 20 to interconnect with alocking element 68.

In the further embodiments of FIGS. 17 and 18, a threaded member 70 ismolded or otherwise engaged in adapters 58, further comprising resilientlocking fingers 60 or engagement elements 66 of the present invention.Such a configuration allows additional flexibility in construction ofthe trophy.

Similarly, the further embodiments of FIGS. 19 through 24 illustratealternative configurations of the connector base 34. However, anycomponent of the trophy assembly could be so adapted, in accord with thepresent invention.

In the further embodiments of FIGS. 25 and 26, the threaded member 70 isreplaced by connecting member 38 molded or otherwise engaged in adapters58, further comprising one or more keys 72 molded thereon for engagementin an opening and keyway in the adjacent trophy component to secure theparts assembly. Such a connecting member 38 and key 72 may beconstructed of substantially resilient or substantially rigid materials.Such a configuration allows additional flexibility in construction ofthe trophy in that the attachment may be configured to be permanent orreversible through a twist-and-engage or disengage configuration.

Similarly, the further embodiments of the connector base in FIGS. 27 and28 illustrate alternative configurations of the attachment mechanism ofFIGS. 25 and 26. However, any component of the trophy assembly could beso adapted, in accord with the present invention.

Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this disclosure willrecognize that certain changes can be made to the apparatus of thepresent invention without changing the manner in which those partsfunction to achieve their intended result, and any modifications whichdo not deviate from the scope of the invention are considered to beincluded therein.

For instance, it is most common that parts of a trophy are made frommetal or plastics. Furthermore, due to the complex shapes now desired byconsumers for trophy figures and decoration, for example the bike riderand riser in FIG. 5, it is preferable to use a plastic-like materialthat can be readily formed into such shapes in a mold or similarapparatus. Thus, connecting members 36 and their mating openings 44 maybe formed onto the trophy component at the same time thereby takingadvantage of the flexibility of the molded material.

The flexibility and integral connectedness imparts an advantage to boththe connecting members 36 and the mating openings 44. As shown in FIG.3, the flexibility of the connecting members 36 allows them to deflectand be inserted into the openings 44, where the projecting portion 50causes the connecting member 36 to deflect in the opposite direction,and is thus engaged in said opening 44 by friction. If the configurationof the openings 44 allows the connecting member to pass through, thensaid member 36 will return to the pre-deflection state and said surface52 of said projecting portion 50 will engage the underside of saidopening 44 thereby securing the members in assembly.

By further incorporating the design of the connecting member 36 of FIG.8, where the engagement surface 52 is substantially oblique from thesurface of the connecting member, the members may thus be disengagedwithout need for time consuming disassembly of the entire trophy. Thisis a great advantage where it is desired by the retailer to rapidlyinterchange decorative elements or figures for the consumer.

In an alternative embodiment featuring a twist and lock configuration,components are adapted with a locking element 68 to receive anengagement element 66. The engagement element 66 and locking element 68may configured to lock permanently or be further configured toreversibly engage, thereby allowing removal and replacement ofcomponents.

Rapid removal and replacement of a component of a trophy construction ofthe present invention is a major advancement in trophy construction andbenefits consumers and retailers alike. For example, all too often aretailer receives a last-minute phone or e-mail order from a harriedcoach who needs to pick up ten trophies that afternoon for an awardceremony after a game. With the traditional threaded rod construction,all of the parts must be in inventory and the assembly of all the partswill take several hours, or as stated above possibly days. But utilizingthe present invention, the retailer can carry several differentpreconstructed trophies at a lower inventory cost than a myriad ofindividual components. On order, only a figure needs to be attached atthe top. In addition, one or more risers may be attached depending uponthe desire of the customer. The coach runs into the store, on the way tothe game, and discovers that the requested figure is not suitable, anddemands a different figure. By the traditional threaded rodconstruction, every trophy would have to be disassembled, the originalfigure replaced, and the assembly realigned and tightened. Hours ofwork, but the coach cannot wait. So, the coach is forced to take thetrophies, or do without, and the retailer has a dissatisfied customer.However, by using the teaching of the present invention of thereplaceable components, the retailer can retreat to the store room,remove the figures and replace them with different figures in a fewminutes. The coach is a satisfied customer and makes it to the game ontime. Thus, trophy components configured by the teachings of the presentinvention would allow rapid replacement of any trophy component.

The connector base 34 of the present invention provides ability to use anut, bolt, adapter 58 or other insert such as a ferrule 32, to connectto a threaded rod 24, or threaded member 33, such that the connectorbase 34 may be a universal connector for adaptation to threaded rod artconstruction. Thus the many variations of the connectors for the base 34enable traditional threaded rod 24 construction to utilize the quickconnect features on components, such as decorative risers 20 and figure22, configured in accord with the teachings of the present invention.

Similarly, the use of flexible materials in the mating openings providesthe advantage of a certain amount of elasticity when the connectingmember 36 is inserted or removed. A further advantage of the use offlexible materials for the openings 44 is that connecting members 36made out of substantially rigid materials, such as metals, will causesaid opening 44 to deform when the rigid connecting member 36 isinserted therein and then substantially return to the pre-deformed stateby virtue of the elasticity or flexibility of the material. Thus trophymembers incorporating this attachment system retain their ability to bemade from any variety of materials, not just flexible materials, asdemanded by the consumer.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the inventionhas been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the preciseform disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible inlight of the above teaching without deviating from the spirit and scopeof the invention. The embodiment described is best selected to explainthe principles of the invention and its practical application to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention invarious embodiments and with various modifications as suited to theparticular purpose contemplated.

All such changes, and others which will be clear to those skilled in theart from this description of the preferred embodiments of the invention,are intended to fall within the scope of the following, non-limitingclaims.

1. A trophy construction comprising: a. A first trophy part comprising abody and a connecting member; and b. A second trophy part comprising areceptacle adapted to receive said connecting member for interconnectingsaid first trophy part with said second trophy part;
 2. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting membercomprises a substantially resilient material;
 3. The trophy constructionas set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting member comprises asubstantially rigid material;
 4. The trophy construction as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said receptacle of said second trophy part comprises asubstantially resilient material;
 5. The trophy construction as setforth in claim 1, wherein said receptacle of said second trophy partcomprises a substantially rigid material;
 6. The trophy construction asset forth in claim 1, wherein said first trophy part is irreversiblyinterconnected with said second trophy part;
 7. The trophy constructionas set forth in claim 1, wherein said first trophy part is reversiblyinterconnected with said second trophy part;
 8. The trophy constructionas set forth in claim 1, wherein said first trophy part comprises adecorative member;
 9. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 1,wherein said first trophy part comprises an award or figure;
 10. Thetrophy construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second trophypart comprises a connector base;
 11. The trophy construction as setforth in claim 1, wherein said second trophy part comprises a connectorbase further comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, said uppersurface comprising a receptacle adapted to receive said connectingmember for interconnecting said decorative member with said connectorbase;
 12. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidfirst trophy part further comprises one or more resilient connectingmembers, and said second trophy part further comprises one or more ofsaid receptacles;
 13. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 1,wherein said connecting member further comprises a material resilientenough to deflect during assembly and return to affirmatively retainsaid first trophy part with said second trophy part;
 14. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receptacle furthercomprises a material resilient enough to deflect during assembly andreturn to affirmatively retain said first trophy part with said secondtrophy part;
 15. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 1,wherein said first trophy part is an award or figure and said secondtrophy part is a riser;
 16. The trophy construction as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said first trophy part is an award or figure and saidsecond trophy part is a preassembled trophy unit;
 17. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first trophy part isa riser and said second trophy part is a preassembled trophy unit;
 18. Atrophy construction comprising: a. A first trophy part furthercomprising an engagement element extending from said first trophy part;and b. A second trophy part further comprising a locking element adaptedto affirmatively retain said engagement element for interconnecting saidfirst trophy part with said second trophy part;
 19. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 18, wherein said first trophy part isreversibly interconnected with said second trophy part;
 20. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 18, wherein said engagement elementfurther comprises a resilient material to deflect during assembly andreturn to affirmatively retain said first trophy part with said secondtrophy part;
 21. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 18,wherein said locking element further comprises a material resilientenough to deflect during assembly and return to affirmatively retainsaid second trophy part with said first trophy part;
 22. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 18, wherein said first trophy part isa decorative member and said second trophy part is a connector basefurther comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, said uppersurface comprising a locking element adapted to receive said engagementelement for interconnecting said decorative member with said connectorbase;
 23. A connector base comprising an upper surface and a lowersurface, said connector base further comprising a central portionadapted to receive a retaining element;
 24. The connector base as setforth in claim 23, wherein said retaining element is a threaded nut; 25.The connector base as set forth in claim 23, wherein said retainingelement is a threaded ferrule;
 26. The connector base as set forth inclaim 23, wherein said retaining element is a threaded bolt;
 27. Atrophy construction comprising: a. A first trophy part; b. A secondtrophy part comprising a receptacle configured to receive an adapter forinterconnecting said first trophy part with said second trophy part; andi. said adapter further comprising an affirmative connection to saidfirst trophy part to affirmatively retain said first trophy part to saidsecond trophy part;
 28. The trophy construction as set forth in claim27, wherein said adapter further comprises a substantially resilientmaterial;
 29. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 27, whereinsaid adapter further comprises a substantially rigid material;
 30. Thetrophy construction as set forth in claim 27, wherein said receptacle ofsaid second trophy part further comprises a substantially resilientmaterial;
 31. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 27, whereinsaid receptacle of said second trophy part further comprises asubstantially rigid material;
 32. The trophy construction as set forthin claim 27, wherein said first trophy part further comprises a threadedattachment member, and said adapter connection further comprises a boreto threadably receive said threaded attachment member;
 33. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 27, wherein said adapter connectionfurther comprises one or more locking elements or fingers to engage saidsecond trophy part;
 34. The trophy construction as set forth in claim27, wherein said adapter connection further comprises one or moreengagement elements to engage said second trophy part;
 35. The trophyconstruction as set forth in claim 27, wherein said adapter connectionfurther comprises a threaded element to engage said trophy part;
 36. Thetrophy construction as set forth in claim 27, wherein said adapterconnection further comprises a member further comprising one or morekeys to engage said trophy part;
 37. The trophy construction as setforth in claim 27, wherein said adapter is reversibly engaged in saidfirst trophy part;
 38. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 27,wherein said adapter is reversibly engaged in said second trophy part;39. The trophy construction as set forth in claim 27, wherein said firsttrophy part is an award or figure;
 40. The trophy construction as setforth in claim 27, wherein said second trophy part is a connector baseof the present invention;
 41. A method of business providing trophyconstructions by the teachings of the present invention comprising: a.Preassembling trophy units comprising a base and a connector base of thepresent invention; b. Offering to the trade said preassembled trophyunits; c. Selecting to complete said trophy for use one or more trophycomponents further comprising attachable connecting members; d. Assemblyof said trophy for use by engaging said connecting member to saidpreassembled trophy unit;
 42. The method as set forth in claim 41,wherein said preassembled trophy unit further comprises assembly using acentrally threaded rod;
 43. The method as set forth in claim 41, whereinsaid preassembled trophy unit further comprises assembly using one ormore components comprising connecting members of the present inventionfor attachment;
 44. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein saidpreassembled trophy unit further comprises assembly comprising theconnector base of the present invention for attachment of trophycomponents;
 45. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein one or moreof said components of the preassembly may be reversibly attached; 46.The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein one or more of saidcomponents of the preassembly may be permanently attached;
 47. Themethod as set forth in claim 41, wherein one or more of said connectingmembers comprises a substantially resilient material;
 48. The method asset forth in claim 41, wherein one or more of said connecting memberscomprises a substantially rigid material;
 49. The method as set forth inclaim 41, wherein said connecting base comprises a substantiallyresilient material;
 50. The method as set forth in claim 41, whereinsaid connecting base comprises a substantially rigid material;
 51. Themethod as set forth in claim 41, wherein said connecting base furthercomprises a receptacle configured to receive an adapter forinterconnecting a first trophy part with said connecting base; and a.said adapter further comprising an affirmative connection to said firsttrophy part to affirmatively retain said first trophy part to saidsecond trophy part;
 52. The method as set forth in claim 41, whereinfinal assembly of said trophy for use comprises a permanent attachmentof said trophy part;
 53. The method as set forth in claim 41, whereinfinal assembly of said trophy for use comprises a reversible attachmentof said trophy part;
 54. The method as set forth in claim 41, whereinfinal assembly of said trophy for use comprises selecting and securing ariser thereon;
 55. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein finalassembly of said trophy for use comprises selecting and securing anaward or figure thereon;
 56. A method of assembly of a trophyconstruction comprising: a. Selecting a trophy preassembly furthercomprising i. at least one trophy component as a base; and ii. aconnector base of the present invention; iii. assembling said trophycomponent to said connector base; b. Selecting one or more trophy award,riser or figure components further comprising attachable connectingmembers of the present invention; c. Connecting said trophy award orother component to said connector base;
 57. The method as set forth inclaim 56, wherein said preassembled trophy unit further comprisesassembly using a centrally threaded rod;
 58. The method as set forth inclaim 56, wherein said preassembled trophy unit further comprisesassembly using one or more components comprising connecting members ofthe present invention for attachment;
 59. The method as set forth inclaim 56, wherein one or more of said components of the preassembly maybe reversibly attached;
 60. The method as set forth in claim 56, whereinone or more of said components of the preassembly may be permanentlyattached;
 61. The method as set forth in claim 56, wherein one or moreof said components comprises a substantially resilient material;
 62. Themethod as set forth in claim 56, wherein one or more of said componentscomprises a substantially rigid material;